Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson believes there is a good chance that the title race “could be done and dusted” before the next international break.
With rivals Liverpool and Manchester City facing each other at the start of next month, Merson says the Gunners could extend their advantage at the top of the table with back-to-back wins, giving them what he believes could be an unassailable lead:
Most Read on Gooner News
“The title race could be done and dusted in the next two weeks! Arsenal face Burnley and Sunderland before the international break, while Liverpool have Aston Villa and Manchester City. I expect Arsenal to win both their games, and I’m not backing Liverpool to win this weekend. If City and Liverpool then take points off each other in gameweek 11, I think Arsenal will win the league quite comfortably.”
Merson is so confident about Mikel Arteta‘s side’s chances of finishing in 1st place that he thinks the lack of pressure domestically could help them in Europe:
“I even believe Arsenal could enjoy a good run in the Champions League because by the time it reaches the latter stages, we could be looking at a situation where they would have sealed the league title already!”
Arsenal fans won’t be counting their chickens
Merson is being rather overconfident with his prediction, and while the Gunners could be in a commanding position by the middle of November, there is still a lot of football to be played.
No fan would need to be reminded that Arteta’s men had a big lead over Man City in the 2022/23 season before finishing 2nd. There are so many elements (form, injuries and refereeing decisions) that can still affect how things play out.
Merson has predicted the scoreline between Burnley and Arsenal
The Sky Sports pundit was writing about Arsenal’s title chances when discussing their fixture against Burnley this weekend.
He expects the Gunners will secure a 2-0 win at Turf Moor, but it is likely to be a tightly fought game, with the Clarets expected to sit back and make things difficult for the away team.
Read more about the Arsenal First Team Squad for 2025/26 here